High five!
You’ve made some big changes in your family’s diet recently and are really focusing on eating organic. You’ve stopped buying boxed cereal and other processed snacks at the grocery store and are making homemade snacks and treats with wholesome ingredients instead. You’re even sprouting or soaking nuts and seeds and even your legumes and grains!
You’ve joined an organic fruit and veggie co-op and made the switch to grassfed locally produced meats. You’ve even taken the wise step of incorporating raw grassfed milk into your family’s diet.
While all these changes are wonderful and beneficial compared with how you’ve been eating, I’ve got some tough news for you.
These changes alone are not going to get you healthy.
Eating organic is not the way to health shocking as it may sound!
Gulp.
How can this be, you ask? Your diet is now light years ahead of where it was. How can this organic, whole foods diet not result in vibrant health?
Let me tell you a little story ….
The Telling Tale of the South Sea Islanders
The first Europeans to visit the South Sea Islands in the 1700’s were Captain Cook and his crew. Tahiti was truly a paradise with beautiful people whose frequent smiles revealed perfectly straight, pearly white teeth.
Dr. Weston A. Price found the same blissful environment nearly 200 years later when he arrived with his wife to study these happy, healthy people. Dr. Price noted that the bone structure of the South Sea Islanders was the most perfect of any of the 14 isolated traditional cultures he studied during his travels around the world in the 1920’s and 1930’s which he documented in the amazing book Nutrition and Physical Degeneration.
The traditional diet of the South Sea Islanders was high fat, consisting of seafood and pork with coconut the most important plant based staple.  Tropical fruits and other plants were also consumed as there were plenty available in such a temperate and ideal growing climate.
The environment and water were, of course, pristine and food was abundant.
Wouldn’t such an organic, whole foods diet be enough for health?
No, it was not.
The South Sea Islanders knew from observation and perhaps instinct that their clean, whole mixed diet was not enough to maintain their own health or to produce healthy babies and children.
The Sacred Food the South Sea Islanders Could Not Do Without
Despite having plenty of whole, nutrient dense foods available during all times of the year, the South Sea Islanders risked their lives over and over again to hunt sharks.
Once a shark was caught and brought to shore, the liver was removed and put inside the shark’s stomach which was then hung on a tree to ferment.
The oil that came out of the shark liver as it fermented provided a plethora of fat soluble vitamins A, D, and K2 to the South Sea Islander diet that was the critical missing link for vibrant health. This oil was given to growing children and young adults who were about to get married and also to pregnant women.  Such oil would have been critical to maintaining health into advanced age as well.
Dr. Price knew from research that the level of fat soluble activators in the South Sea Islander diet was about 10 times higher than the Americans of his day … and processed, devitalized foods had not even arrived in full force yet!
Fat Soluble Vitamins More Important Than Eating Organic
The story of the South Sea Islanders illustrates the critical nature of the fat soluble vitamins in the diet. Without them, no matter how pure, whole and organic a diet may be, health will not be maintained nor healthy children easily produced.
The fat soluble activators A, D, and K2 supercharge mineral absorption into the body tissues and enhance the health and function of every organ system.
Fortunately, fermented cod liver oil and fermented skate liver oil are available today that are very similar to the fermented shark liver oil consumed by the South Sea Islanders.
Please note that the typical brand name fish or krill oil and even cod liver oils on the market are highly processed, industrialized, rancid, deodorized oils that should be avoided. Â Only fermented cod and skate liver oil is processed with no heat as practiced by traditional cultures.
I have been taking these types of oils for many years and would never consider my whole foods diet complete without them. Why reinvent the wheel and experiment with the latest and greatest silver bullet supplements that seem to change every few months when traditional cultures such as the South Sea Islanders already knew what it took to have healthy babies and stay vibrantly healthy well into old age?
Where to Source Fermented Fish Liver Oils
Please refer to my Resources page for a list of companies that offer clean, purified fermented fish liver oils to provide your whole foods diet with the critical fat soluble activators A, D, and K2.
What to Do if You are Allergic to Fish
If fermented cod or skate liver oil aren’t possible for you due to a seafood allergy, note that you can obtain fat soluble vitamins in other foods valued by other Traditional cultures such as raw, grassfed butter (must be deep yellow to orange in color – sources), fish eggs (many can tolerate fish eggs even with a seafood allergy), emu oil from emus eating their native diet (sources), deep orange yolks from pastured hens, and liver from land based animals.
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist
Source:Â Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, Dr. Weston A. Price DDS
It’s also a crucial step to healing tooth decay.
I agree with WAPF thinking and eating whole foods, however, I’ve started to reject the idea of isolating one or two items from a culture’s diet coining them as super foods. I’ve noticed that we do that a lot lately… ppl in China live long without cancer so eat soy because they do, other cultures have low rates of heart disease so drink lots of red wine, etc. etc. etc. I’m not doubting that these ppl were extremely healthy, but I don’t think it’s rational to attribute one practice to their health instead of focusing on a whole lifestyle. Where is the proof that they wouldn’t have been just as healthy without the fermented oil? I see no study showing a difference between the two, with and without said variable. It also seems they didn’t consume fresh raw milk, butter, eggs, and beef. Maybe the oil made up what they were missing by not having grassfed animals since fish and pork are not a source of grassed omega 3s. Their diet may be beneficial to a pacific climate only. It seems each culture faced with a different climate and terrain would have had some food source to provide the necessary vitamins and nutrients to sustain life and procreate, otherwise we wouldn’t be facing overpopulation. Dr. Price also studied tribes in Africa and noted that the tribe who ate a combination of foods… grain, raw milk, meat, vegetables were the ones that had the optimal size, health, and straight teeth. Also most cultures have their own version of fermented foods. It’s quite possible that the oil was more beneficial for the mere fact that it was their version of a fermented food source. I do believe that nutrient dense food is critical to our health, but I don’t believe in a one path line of thinking. There’s more than one way to skin a cat, if you know what I mean.
TNT has the most logical explanation, albeit it’s about one year old. Through all my trials and research regarding the most appropriate foods to eat, I am of the firm opinion that it should be based on what your ancestors ate. Just look back to where your great or great-great grandparents came from and know your background. I agree that, for instance, what Orientals eat is not necessarily what Europeans could tolerate. This is explained by the Weston A. Price Foundation, as well as in the book “Nourishing Traditions”. In one chapter, it explains how Orientals are better able to tolerate rice than Europeans. To quote: “Asians have larger pancreas and salivary glands in proportion to body weight than Westerners, and these traits make the ideally suited to a grain-based diet. In my family, growing up, we never ate rice….it was always potatoes. Our ancestoral background is Northern European. Do your own research.
I’m sorry if this has already been asked but i am wondering where to find sources for SPECIFIC guidelines to eating traditionally for myself and family. Together we have a very heavy Scottish/Irish background. I have only seen a few general things on the Weston Price site. Thanks for your help!!
Hi Victoria,
My background is primarily Scottish, with some Irish, and a tad bit of Dutch. Please know that those of us who are Scot/Irish, mostly descended from the Scandinavian countries, as a result of the Viking conquests. You can find the answers to your questions in the book “Nourishing Traditions” by Sally Fallon. Generally speaking, in the northern climates, these peoples thrived on foods from the seas, tubers such as potatoes, organ meats, oats, and milk from their oats, and milk products from their animal herds.
So one guy, 100 years ago, saw a single narrow genetic population, in a particular climate and lifestyle, be healthy with this supplement, and so people should spend $240/person/year on it? Give me some more facts and hard science, and less snake oil, please.
I loved this! I’m a recent Real Food convert and my family and I have been making changes slowly over the last two years. In fact your opening paragraph could have been about me! LOL!
I had heard in my knowledge-gathering over the last couple of years that proper nutrition could prevent crooked teeth and that butter oil capsules (when paired with other things) could help heal cavities. While we don’t suffer from cavities, I did have braces as a teenager. My husband- from the Pacific Islands- didn’t (go figure!).
Here’s my question:
If we’re consuming raw dairy from A2/A2 grass-fed cows, including butter that we personally make from that milk, do we still need to take the butter oil supplement along with the FCLO?
Thanks in advance!
Serenity
While I agree with nutrient dense, I don’t know if I agree with taking high levels of A with D. A naturally blocks D absorption, and my family’s diet is sufficient in vit. A and precursors. I do think K with D is a good idea though. We eat a good amount of local, grassfed eggs, milk, and beef, I make bone broths frequently, and do supplement my whole family with vit D3 with K2 drops in EVOO. I don’t supplement my kids with anything else.
Can this oil be substituted with another non fish oil ? After two earthquakes in Fukushima by the nuclear power plant, I don’t think it is safe to consume fish anymore.
This blog post is informative and helpful as far as the basics of the origination of the Weston A. Price discoveries and the importance of cod liver oil, etc., but I think we need to be careful with our titling of the blog.
Eating organic certainly does help you to be healthy. Pesticides and hormones are highly detrimental (as you know). I eat a diet of about 12 or more servings of organic/local fruits & vegetables daily, a serving of beef, chicken, fish, etc., raw milk and cheese, organic soups, fermented food like a bit of sauerkraut with breakfast, organic nuts, and occasionally items with my lunch like Wasa crackers and cheese, organic beef jerky, etc. I also have a nice pastry or bagel once in awhile. I say this because this is an 80% improvement over the fast food, extraordinarily unhealthy diet I ate years ago. Yet my current diet is not necessarily a Weston A. Price diet. My diet is considered simply “an organic diet”.
Many people are still eating lots of processed foods and a barrage of chemicals. Let’s not discourage them with titles such as “Why Eating Organic Will Never Make You Healthy”. Yes, cod liver oil is wonderful supplemented with the diet. But when so many people still have not transitioned to a healthy, organic diet, your article serves as somewhat of a deterrent to people who think they’re doing a better thing for themselves. Sort of like, “Why Driving a Prius Will Never Make a Difference in Climate Change” (you shouldn’t drive at all) or like “Why Exercising 15 minutes a Day Will Never Be Enough” (you need to work out at least 30 minutes daily). There may be some truth to these statements, but ultimately, it’s not too effective on those trying to do the right thing. How about just calling it, “The Next Step After Switching to An Organic Diet”?
I agree with you totally. It’s disheartening at best to read this kind of intro when you are doing all the right things mentioned and then read none of it is going to work unless you do this one specific thing.
Hi Sarah
I am based in South Africa and I have approached our various natural and organic suppliers here regarding fermented cod liver oil and NONE of them have heard of it never mind stock it. Although South Africans are slowly waking up to the benefits of a real, organic, free-range lifestyle, it is still early days. Do you know anyone on your side of the world who’d be willing to ship it to South Africa?! I look forward to your response!
Warm regards
Melanie
we live in Germany and have it shipped from Holland!! http://www.codliveroilshop.eu is the website we use. the shipping is expensive but worth it 🙂
I found malted cod liver oil at Dis-Chem that tastes similar and has similar texture to the Green Pastures fermented cod liver oil… Maybe it’s similar? The lady working in that aisle said that form of cod liver oil has been around for ages in South Africa. I also think the K2 levels in Amasi should be high. I am currently in the US but will be flying back to SA in a couple weeks. Have you found a good cod liver oil source?